The Grey Raider
In 1863, Confederate commerce raider Manassas, under the command of Captain Pelle, sails the seven seas chasing and sinking any merchant vessel flying the Stars and Stripes. When her tally reaches sixty-two, Abraham Lincoln is furious and orders Captain Stacy of USS Oswego to pursue CSS Manassas and destroy her. A thrilling sea-going game of cat-and-mouse is on.
Pelle has precarious health and a ship badly in need of repair, but he is determined to do his duty until the bitter end, while the irascible Stacy has a personal score to settle from the time both men served together during the Mexican War of 1847. Meanwhile, professional gambler and Confederate spy, Kitty Anson, heads for Europe and tries to shake off the Pinkerton man on her trail. In Antwerp, she discovers something unique about the Oswego and plans on how she can warn Manassas.
Readers familiar with the maritime history of the American Civil War will recognize that this is unashamedly based on the battle between CSS Alabama and USS Kearsage, that the two main protagonists even have physical echoes of the real Captains Semmes and Winslow, plus there is a similar final showdown off Cherbourg. The reasons the author chose to fictionalize the event are explained in his concluding notes.
Naval enthusiasts will appreciate the authenticity and attention to detail. The two flawed captains are convincingly portrayed, and there are comedic aspects to other characters such as the Yankee chargé d’affaires with his trophy wife and the self-important French admiral. Kitty is formulaic, the token glamorous female who causes minor diversions and disruptions but can’t hope to change the course of this particular history.
A grand adventure yarn recommended for anyone interested in the lesser-known maritime and international aspects of the Civil War.
